Any Tips on Buying?

Hi Jim....first know what you want. If you are anywhere near New Jersey, stop in to Audio Connection in Verona, NJ ....great place. By the way....I hope that Cardas works for you....it was awful in my rig.

Thanks for such consistent and frank advice.
I know that making an offer constitutes an agreement to buy, but I wanted to hear what others have been doing. I'm glad to know how many honest and decent folks are members of Agon.(except for those who slipped thru the cracks during the change in Audiogon ownership). It seems like the best of the lot are the ones who participate on the forums.

Even if you "Made An Offer" the "Buy It Now" takes precedent over that offer. You still would have lost the sale.

Mofi- I realize that's always a possibility when waiting for a reply. Walter said it best when he stated to "secure a place in line" with an offer is the wrong thing to do. I've been wondering how many members are actually doing that; we'll never know because there's no way to give negative feedback unless the sale is made.

Again, I agree with Walter that good feedback says more than a photo, unless it is a big-ticket item.

And thanks all for the replies and helping me realize that it was only a cable and not the deal of a lifetime on an amp or speakers.

Walter and Stringreen nail this.
First do your own research...know what you want, how much it is worth, and how much you are willing to pay for it, and then pulling the trigger will be much easier.
When you find what you are looking for, evaluate the condition, ask your questions and check out the seller and their feedback. Dealing with a bad seller is rarely worth the headache.
When you make an offer, or select "buy it now," you should be ready to purchase since the Audiogon community expects you to honor your offer.
Backing out on offers will quickly earn you the reputation of someone to avoid dealing with.
You have quite a few sales here and excellent feedback so I suggest you keep doing what you have been doing.
BTW, good post as it brought out some good advice that will help everyone who reads it.

Thanks for the advice and the kind words, Mitch.
After we went thru the period of scamming and hacking, I started to wonder if some members were buying and selling using unethical means.

03-31-14: Mofimadness
Even if you "Made An Offer" the "Buy It Now" takes precedent over that offer. You still would have lost the sale.

This is true, it just happened to me about a month ago. I made an offer for a local purchase, the seller contacted me and agreed to the sale. Then before he could accept the offer through Audiogon, someone hit the buy it now button and the item was gone. That's just life in the big city. My offer would have saved me about 10% for local pickup, but in the end, the seller got full price and just shipped the item. You want to take the risk of following due diligence, but sometimes it can cost you.

You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em when playing this game. You also have to realize that you are not always going to win. Just keep on truckin'.